Repub. Announcing Affordable Care Act Replacement Monday

Some Republican lawmakers have notified the press of the GOP replacement for the Affordable Care Act, set to be introduced Monday as the Patient Freedom Act. Reports on the bill aired on two conservative television news networks Sunday evening.

Specific details of the plan are hard to come by, as congressional staffers are tight-lipped and there is no reference to it on either the official House or Senate calendars for Monday.

Patient Freedom Act of 2017 and 2015

The Patient Freedom Act of 2017, as it is named in a press release by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, appears to be a modified version of a June 2015 bill. That ACA replacement act was drafted by Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Sen. Collins indicates that she was the co-sponsor, before it was essentially tabled.

Of the 2015 bill, Collins said that it, “is the basis for the legislation we are going to be introducing [on Monday]”.

Since the exact text of the 2017 adaptation is not available, we can only offer the 2015 law for your analysis. Click here to read the full text and view the legislation’s history, and read a summary below.

Summary

This bill provides states with three options regarding title I (provisions on health insurance reform, exchanges, and subsidies) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): (1) continue implementing PPACA, (2) do not apply title I of PPACA except to prohibit lifetime or annual limits on health insurance benefits and require coverage of dependents up to 26 years old, or (3) the second option plus implementation of a health savings account (HSA) deposit system.

In states implementing an HSA deposit system, residents who are enrolled in health insurance coverage that meets state standards receive monthly deposits in their HSAs either from states administering federal funds or as a tax credit paid in advance. States that administer deposits are entitled to payments from the Department of Health and Human Services for population health initiatives.

States with an HSA deposit system must offer a health insurance plan that is continually available for enrollment and penalize residents who have a break in coverage.

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to disregard assets in an HSA for purposes of determining Medicaid eligibility and benefits except for long-term care services.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the requirement that an individual have a high deductible health plan to be eligible for the tax benefits of an HSA.

HSAs can be used to pay premiums for health insurance that meets specified requirements.

HSA tax benefits only apply to payments for health care for which the provider publishes the price.

Patient Freedom Act of 2014

There was a 2014 incarnate of the Patient Freedom Act, sponsored by Rep. David Jolly of Florida. That legislation dealt solely with the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that all persons carry health insurance through a group, government program, or the individual marketplace.

Next Steps

While conservative media pointed to Monday’s introduction of the Obamacare replacement bill, until leadership and more of both congressional bodies coalesce around it, those hoping for one may be waiting at least a little longer.

Of course. Republicans never really had any plans? They didn’t think Trump would win. So they never bothered to make a plan. But with Trump’s new order the new plan is really keep Obamacare where it works and undermine it rather than fix it in those areas. If they would let us keep it and fix it that would be fine but no incentive to fix. Don’t know all the details but that’s because they are not written.

Call it unacceptable. Fix the problems with the ACA. I doubt Mr. Trump will be on board with this plan. He keeps saying better then the ACA. And last week said maybe 2018 before a plan is implemented. Republicans listen to you town meetings.

When will conservatives get it through their thick skulls that middle class Americans could never manage a Health Spending Account! It says nothing negative about these Americans of whom I speak. Putting a burdensome responsibility of funding and using an HSA is not something a single mom making $30,000 a year or two parents with three kids making $100,000 a year could live up to. If Americans had it in them to be savers and planners, there would be more savings accounts funding 6-month emergency funds in existence. Or more retirement funds.

So your idea is use your hra to pay for your insurance that’s the money that you pay to take care of the 20 percent and the deductible and your glasses and your dental how will that help it won’t just cost us more try again you did not give us affordable insurance you gave us another way to pay them to much money